kscans

Chapter 129 - Longhorn Trail and the E-Rank Promotion Exam

Raising one's adventurer rank in Heilon was simple. First, you paid one gold coin to the guild. Then, accompanied by a guild member, you went to Longhorn Trail and entered the Area Guardian's room on a specific floor. If you made it back alive, you were officially promoted. However, the only party members who could accompany you into the Area Guardian's room were those of the same rank as you or lower. You could challenge a rank up to two levels higher. In other words, for an F-rank like me to become C-rank, I had to take the D or E-rank test, and then the C-rank test on top of that. That was all it took. But it required courage to enter an Area Guardian's room, from which there was no escape. The other option was to pay five silver coins and take the exam held once every six months, but the next one was in October. I couldn't wait that long.

"The designated floor for E-rank is the 5th, D-rank is the 10th, C-rank is the 20th, and B-rank is the 40th... If we pass, my rank and Famu's will go up too,"

Mizuki said. For the record, Mizuki and Famu were F-rank like me, while Cecily, Myra, and Aira were C-rank adventurers. They couldn't accompany me on my promotion exam. If I had known this would happen, I would have brought them with me to the Chairman's place. I'd left Shizuka behind at the Chairman's, as she seemed likely to get in the way. Her class was Righteous Thief, and as she leveled up, she could acquire skills useful for exploration support like trap disarming and enemy detection, but she had no combat experience. I couldn't take her with me to a fight against an Area Guardian where she might just burst into tears and make it impossible to fight.

"So it doubles each time? Does that mean A-rank is the 80th floor?"

That seemed impossible for a normal person. I wondered how Avea had been promoted.

"It seems to be the 60th. If you take the D-rank exam and defeat the Area Guardian on the 40th floor, you get promoted to B-rank."

"You've got to be kidding. Risking your life against something like a Hekatonkheires just for an exam is insane. A rank that fits your abilities is good enough."

We were currently on the 5th floor of Longhorn Trail. The members were me, Famu, Mizuki, and three chaperones sent by the guild: two cat-eared girls and a human youth. They wouldn't participate in combat. They were just here to accompany us and watch us enter the Area Guardian's room. I had assumed that the dog-eared and cat-eared races didn't get along, but the cat-eared girls were constantly striking up conversations with Famu, and they seemed to be getting along well. The 5th floor of Longhorn Trail was a dense jungle world. Tall trees formed a canopy overhead, blocking the light and leaving the area dim. Still, this was a dungeon. I had no way of knowing if there was really a sky up there. I could hear the sound of flowing water, but I couldn't see any streams. The ground was covered in ferns, and a mountain path continued, weaving between tree trunks so thick that several people holding hands couldn't encircle them. It was mostly a single path, but the constant uphill climb left me breathless. There were also fallen trees here and there, which took a lot of energy to climb over. Being here felt less like being in a dungeon and more like I'd come to another world. If I strayed from the trail and got lost in the jungle, I'd probably never find my way back.

"But we're finally graduating from F-rank,"

Famu said, her cheeks relaxed in a smile.

"What? Did you hate being F-rank?"

"It's embarrassing when you say it so proudly, Master,"

she replied.

"There's nothing to be gained from showing off one's strength."

"Are you sure about that? By being seen as weak, there are things you cannot protect."

Was she talking about when her settlement was attacked? Famu's expression didn't seem any different from usual.

"The monsters here are Giant Bats, right? I'm not good with flying enemies,"

Mizuki asked. Famu checked the map she had bought at the entrance and nodded.

"Yes, and there are also Seven-Colored Lizards. We need to be careful, as they use camouflage to launch surprise attacks,"

Famu answered.

"It seems like I should be in the front..."

"No, Mizuki, don't push yourself. You walk in the back."

"Why?"

"Just walk behind me. You too, Famu."

"Hey! Your current weapon is a bow, right? You should be in the back!"

"You want to walk in front of me on an uphill path? Are you trying to show me your panties?"

"H-Hey, the guild people are here, so stop saying things like that!"

Despite her words, Mizuki started walking in front of me. Famu followed her, putting me in the rear. The two of them stopped. They each drew their weapons. Vines stretched between the large trees, tangled together. Hanging from those vines were two giant bats, about fifty centimeters in size. They had their wings wrapped around their bodies like capes, with eerie red eyes peeking out. They were too high to reach with a sword. If the monsters didn't attack, we could have just left them alone, but it would be a pain if they attacked us as we passed. I drew my bow. But they must have sensed my killing intent, because before I could release the arrow, the Giant Bats spread their wings and swooped down to attack. I hastily fired an arrow, but it missed by a wide margin.

"Tch!"

I nocked a second arrow, but it didn't seem likely to hit a flying target. The monsters flew high into the air once, then dived to attack Famu and Mizuki in the vanguard. The two of them faced the sharp-clawed attack and slashed, but the monsters dodged and flew erratically through the air, flapping their wings. Famu raised her sword toward the enemy.

"Kikuichimonji!"

As her voice echoed, a vacuum wave shot out and tore through one of the monster's wings. She then rushed to the falling monster and delivered the final blow. Seeing this, the other monster flew away.

Famu was picking up the Mana Seed.

"Looks like we'll be fine if the enemies are this level..."

As I was catching my breath, Famu and Mizuki came over to peer at my face.

"You look pale. Are you okay?"

Mizuki asked.

"Are you alright?"

She looked down at her own body and patted the hem of her skirt, confirming there was nothing wrong.

"I'm fine, but?"

"Just don't do anything reckless. That goes for you too, Famu."

I let my guard down and started walking along the trail.

"Wait. Are you hiding something? What do you mean, 'reckless'?"

"Last night, when I fought in your body, Super Save activated twice. I realized just how much danger I've been putting you in..."

I whispered so the chaperones wouldn't hear.

"...That's a little late to realize."

Mizuki sighed.

"Just act like you always have. This was my decision."

She said that, but I couldn't just say, "Okay."

While I was mulling it over, we arrived at the Area Guardian's door.

"We didn't see any Seven-Colored Lizards, did we?"

"We encountered a few, but they were far away and didn't seem like they were going to attack, so we just passed by."

I hadn't noticed at all, so I was surprised by Famu's answer. They must have blended in completely with the surrounding scenery.

"Did you know?"

I asked Mizuki, and she shook her head as well. The cat-eared girl from the guild turned to face us.

"Well then, we will watch you go through that door from here. Once you defeat the Area Guardian, please come to the guild. After we return, you'll be promoted to E-rank, so do your best!"

I nodded at her words.

"You too, Famu-chan!"

Famu nodded shyly at the cat-eared girl's words. Mizuki drew her sword, and Famu followed suit.

"Famu and I will be the vanguard. Mash, you support us with your bow and magic."

Mizuki opened the door to the Area Guardian's room.

The room inside was a dome, just like the dungeon in Richel. However, the ground was covered in ferns. It was muddy when I stepped on it. Famu and Mizuki walked side by side toward the center, and I followed behind them.

"Master, there are two on the ceiling."

Hearing Famu's warning, I looked up. They were a size larger than the Giant Bats we had just seen. What do you call a bat that's bigger than a Giant Bat? I nocked an arrow and took aim. But before I could release it, the Giant Bats spread their wings, took flight, and soared freely around the dome. It was the exact same scenario as before.

"They're not coming down,"

Famu said, switching her weapon to a kunai. I tried to aim, but I had no confidence I could hit a target moving so erratically. I shot an arrow as a deterrent, but as expected, I couldn't hit the monster. Suddenly, I heard the sound of rustling leaves behind me. The moment I tried to turn around, something pounced on me from behind, and I fell into the ferns. A sharp pain shot through my shoulder.

"Kuh!"

A Seven-Colored Lizard had latched onto my left shoulder. The lizard was about the same size as me. I tried to pry the monster's fangs off, but they were sunk in deep, and the pain in my shoulder only intensified.

"Mash!"

Mizuki slashed at the Seven-Colored Lizard. The monster quickly detached itself from my back and disappeared, blending into the surrounding scenery. I reflexively shot a stone sphere with Earth Magic, but I didn't feel it hit anything.

"Damn it!"

I tried to stand up, but my legs felt weak, and I fell to my knees. I tried to stand again, putting more strength into it, but my vision swam, and this time I couldn't support my body and collapsed. I landed on my injured shoulder, and a sharp pain shot through me. A wave of intense nausea washed over me, and I vomited stomach acid onto the ground where I lay.

"Mash, it's poison! Take this medicine! And a healing potion!"

Mizuki handed me the medicine, and I took it.

In the meantime, Famu was being overwhelmed. Two Giant Bats were repeatedly diving and attacking her, while several Seven-Colored Lizards were crawling at her feet, trying to bite her, forcing her into a defensive battle. Switching to kunai had been a mistake. The weapon's short range made it difficult for her to deal with enemies attacking from above and below simultaneously.

"Mizuki, I'm asking you... no, I'm begging you. Please, save Famu!"

"...But I can't leave you alone."

Mizuki hesitated at my words.

"I'm fine! Mizuki, protect our Master!"

Famu yelled. But she was in a bind, with no room to counterattack. What's more, they were trying to separate her from us and isolate her. I pushed myself up and fumbled for my bow to provide support, but I couldn't find it. Reluctantly, I shot a stone sphere as a deterrent. But with my distorted vision, it wouldn't hit. I took out my katana from storage.

"Mizuki, do you know how many Seven-Colored Lizards there are?"

She carefully looked around, then shook her head.

"I don't know."

"Well, that's fine. Mizuki, I need you to go help Famu. The two of you, keep the Giant Bats busy. I'm going to move to a spot with my back to the wall."

"What are you planning to do?"

I used her shoulder to stand up.

"Thanks to the medicine, I'm feeling better. Seeing how the monsters are swarming Famu, it looks like they're fighting with a strategy. I'll act as a decoy, and when the lizards get careless and approach, I'll cut them down. If things go south, I'll call Laciel."

"Okay. Don't overdo it."

Using the scabbard as a cane, I made my way to the wall, then turned and raised my katana. Mizuki watched me go before heading over to support Famu.

Mizuki, rushing to Famu's aid, slashed at the Seven-Colored Lizard crawling around her. Her special skill, Super Kill, must have activated. The monster vanished. With some breathing room, Famu threw a kunai at a Giant Bat. It seemed to do some damage, but the monster floated up to gain distance. In that time, she readied her next kunai. She tried to slash at the other Giant Bat, but a Seven-Colored Lizard crawling at her feet bared its fangs and lunged at her, forcing her to abandon the attack and jump back.

"Kuh."

The Seven-Colored Lizard pursued Famu, but Mizuki stepped in between and slashed at it. After observing the situation, I raised my katana and took a deep breath. The nausea from the poison and the pain in my shoulder had faded thanks to the medicine. To find the Seven-Colored Lizards hiding in this room, I focused my consciousness on the surrounding sounds and the rustling of the ferns. It happened from both the left and right at the same time. When I strained my eyes, I could see the camouflaged Seven-Colored Lizards stealthily approaching through the ferns. I couldn't slash them both at the same time. And since my left shoulder was injured, I should avoid attacks that required raising the katana. If I was going to do a sweeping cut, the enemy on the right came first. I stepped toward the enemy on the right and slashed at the creature crawling on the ground. The muddy ground made me lose my footing, and the slash was weak, but I felt it connect. Then, as I turned, I swept at the monster that had been approaching from behind in the same manner. I landed a blow on each, but neither was a fatal wound. The monsters crawled away and disappeared into the ferns. But due to the damage, their movements were sluggish. I followed the trail of broken leaves and stabbed one from behind with my katana.

"Kishaaaah!"

The monster vanished. I searched for the other one, but it had already blended into the surrounding scenery. I gave up on pursuing it. For now, after confirming there were no monsters nearby, I turned my attention back to Famu and the others.

Famu was handling the Giant Bats, while Mizuki took on the Seven-Colored Lizards. The monsters, now aware of their strength, were reluctant to enter their range. The Giant Bats would fly up and escape whenever they were in danger. Famu and the others also couldn't move around easily, not knowing where the Seven-Colored Lizards were hiding, which prevented them from making any decisive attacks. Right now, the Giant Bats were focused on attacking Famu and the others, and their attention on me had waned. I created a large stone sphere with Earth Magic and launched it at a Giant Bat. The blow struck the monster, and its body faltered from the damage. Seeing this, Mizuki plunged her sword into the ground.

"Famu!"

Mizuki shouted. Famu used the hilt of Mizuki's sword as a stepping stone and leaped. She arched her back in mid-air and used the momentum to plunge her kunai into the enemy as it tried to right itself. One of the Giant Bats vanished. As I was about to fire a continuous stream of stone spheres for support, I saw the fern leaves rustle.

"You won't get me again!"

I thrust my blade into the Seven-Colored Lizard that had been hiding and waiting to ambush me. My step-in was weak, and due to the pain in my left shoulder, the blade got stuck in the monster and wouldn't come out. While I was struggling with it, the remaining Giant Bat changed its target to me and flew over. I kicked the Seven-Colored Lizard to pull out my katana and cut down the diving enemy. Two monsters vanished.

"Alright! The Giant Bats are down. All that's left is to clean up the Seven-Colored Lizards hiding in the ferns!"

We had successfully defeated all the monsters in the Area Guardian's room. I picked up the bow I had dropped. The effects of the poison were gone, but the pain in my left shoulder remained. I'd have Myra heal it when we got back.

"Tomorrow is the 20th floor. Then we'll be C-rank."

"Wait a minute! We struggled this much on the 5th floor, there's no way,"

Mizuki replied to my words.

"I was the only one who struggled. Besides, if things get bad, I can always summon Laciel."

"But there's a real quest after that, right? It requires C-rank or higher, doesn't it?"

"Myra, Cecily, and Aira will be there for the quest."

"Mash, you can't fight like you are now. Before, you would properly assess the situation and give instructions. I know you're worried about us, but it's a problem when you're half-hearted or hesitant."

"Am I really allowed to give orders like before...?"

"It's not 'am I allowed'! Famu, say something too."

Mizuki turned to Famu.

"Master, I believe in you."

"Famu... that's not what I meant,"

Mizuki said, exasperated.

"Mizuki, aren't you, in fact, rather fond of our Master's wavering?"

"Well... I am. But there's no escape from an Area Guardian's room. We might be able to beat the 5th floor monsters, but I don't think it will work on the 20th floor monsters. It would be better to have someone who can use magic."

"I agree with adding more members. I have someone in mind,"

Famu said unexpectedly.

"Really?"

She nodded at my words.